The average Canadian family is expected to spend $411 more on food in 2019 than in 2018.

According to 2019 edition of Canada's Food Price Report, the total cost of healthy food for the average family will cost $12,157 for the year.

The report was released jointly by Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph.

"Overall food prices are expected to rise no more than 3.5% in 2019, a slight increase from last year," says Dalhousie Project Lead Sylvain Charlebois, professor in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture.

Vegetables are predicted to go up in price by four to six per cent. The report is also predicting a further increase in the cost of restaurant prices due to favourable market conditions and increased labour costs.

"With 35% of Canadian's food budgets spent on buying food outside the home, this will have an impact on the wallets of Canadians," says Guelph Project Lead Simon Somogyi, Arrell Chair in the Business of Food at the College of Business and Economics.

Provincially, overall food price hikes are expected to be at the average in Manitoba.

Trends to watch in 2019 include the legalization of cannabis, the unveiling of Canada's new Food Guide, and the push towards plant-based alternatives to meat.

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